This Is Our Path

by LucasA

Their lives were never the same after the incident at the Clocktower. Together, they've found comfort in each other's hearts, and their bond remains strong despite the countless attempts to wipe everything they ever had. A tale of the most important stages in their life, from the moments of calamity and happiness, to the difficult moments of sadness and reflection.

52. Somebody Save Me

Upstate New York - Unknown Area

"Where is he?" A man wearing a corporative black suit and tie raised his sleeves while he walked around Peter who stood up chained to the ceiling by both hands.

The rather large and empty cell was illuminated by a single dim light in the ceiling, a second one was placed over the only available metallic door which was guarded by two extra companions, one male and one female.

A rounded silver table could be seen located besides Peter, it contained all sorts of instruments, some which he thought were a little too much radical and unnecessary for century twenty one style of interrogation.

Peter spat some blood into the floor. He's was under heavy effect of some tranquilizer that made everything all fuzzy and rather funny. He chuckled lightly to himself and answered, "Like I said...he's gone..."

The man groaned in discontentment. He stopped next to Peter and placed a single hand on his chin, forcing him to look at his eyes. "You're-"

Peter interrupted him with a cheeky grin, "Firm hands you got in there, pal, but I pretty much don't kiss on the first date..." He paused and tilted his head to the side, recalling some old memories. "Or do I...?"

Not approving of Peter's jokes, the interrogator quickly punched him in the stomach. He then turned around and held his hand, feeling his knuckles in pain as if he had just punched a solid rock. He remained firm nonetheless and he couldn't allow his prisoner to see any sign of weakness.

Peter held his breath, before exhaling sharply and shaking his head in adrenaline. "Wow! You sure you didn't break bone there-"

Now a fist landed across his face. He coughed briefly and said huskily, "Okay, that was better...but I suffered worse, maybe I should tell you this story about-"

"You think you're funny, don't you?"

Peter hesitated, but his expression didn't lose any of his teasingly attitude. He replied, "Nah...I think I'm adorable." He grinned boyishly.

The man sighed heavily, controlling his patience."Just...tell me what I want to hear." He asked firmly, "Where's Harry Osborn...?!"

Peter now assumed a more serious expression through his face, letting all jokes fly away from his consciousness after the name's mention. "What makes you think that I'd even know where he is, squirrel?" He teased. "You do like a squirrel if I'm going to be honest..."

"You two are close, you're his only family." The interrogator replied, confident over the intel he gathered over the last months.

"Were would be the key word." Peter replied coldly. "And how on Earth do you know about us?"

"I know a lot about you, Peter Benjamin Parker." He began calmy, "Born in 1995, son of Richard Parker and Mary Parker, spent the rest of your childhood with your Uncle and Aunt, the latter was murdered..." He grabbed a small knife from the table next to them and pressed it's tip against Peter's shoulder, not moving anywhere further for awhile.

He continued, "Married to Gwendolyne Maxine Stacy, three children, Elizabeth, Aiden and David..." He slowly descended the knife down through the shirt as Peter gritted his teeth. "That's right; we know you very well, as in matter of fact, your wife is trying to find you, but...we both know it won't end well for her if she achieves such thing..." He whispered menacingly, playing his physiological game.

"You-" Peter grunted heavily as the cold object teased his flesh.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" He challenged, noticing Peter's stare was getting even more deadly after he brought his long dead mother and family to the table. "Now, again, where is Harry Osborn!"

---

One day earlier...

June 20th - 2028

Peter slowly roused from a satiating and relaxing sleep, only wearing his boxers and thoroughly satisfied. He forced his eyes open to stare at the ceiling and it's fan when the air conditioner wasn't turned on. He rubbed his eyes as he groaned lightly. He checked the floor, seeing his clothes spread all over it, tokens from their endless night together since the boys were sleeping in May's house while Elizabeth wanted and went to visit her school's friend.

A thin sheet covered his legs and draped over his hips. He turned his head to the side.

Gwen stretched atop the bed on her stomach, arms tucked under the pillow. The sheet reached her waist, leaving her naked back and arms bared to his eyes. She faced him, in sleep, head ducked into one of her arms and stray pieces of blonde hair hung into her face, offering her back so freely. When she slept, she rarely stayed on her side and she often slept very lightly, was usually the first awake when he stayed with her. Rarely could he watch her sleep.

He carefully twisted onto his side, facing her and reached out to tuck her hair back from her face. Gentle, his fingers barely brushed her cheek but her eyes opened anyway, startled at first. He smiled, regretful. "Sorry, beautiful. I wasn't trying to wake you."

She hummed and closed her eyes again, exhaling a sigh. "What were you doing then?" her voice was husky, a little raspy from sleep.

"I've said this before...but you're just so gorgeous." He growled lazily and rubbed a hand over her bare back. He moved closer to her. "Keep sleeping. I was just … watching."

"Hmm...I guess you do have that privilege." She reached out and pressed a hand into his chest, guiding him onto his back. She slipped closer to him and pressed against his side, pillowing her head on his chest as she draped her arm over his chest. "Sleep while you can, honey."

After their first child was born, they didn't have much time together as they did before, even less with two boys. They had to enjoy every opportunity given to them once in awhile, there's still some free time before May arrived with the twins so that she could later attend to her tea party with her own friends.

"Well...I'd rather stay here with you and...well, make out, I guess." He wrapped his arm around her, splaying his hand on her back to hold her against his side.

She smiled and snuggled into his side, her hand absently tracing a pattern on his toned chest. "Make out, uh?" He nodded. "Aren't you thoroughly satisfied?"

He nodded. "I feel amazing."

"As do I," She tilted her head back to press a kiss to his jaw. "But I would like to stay energized, and I will take the test today so there's that..."

"You...y-you think you're pregnant?" He asked softly.

She sighed happily on his arms. "Maybe, one more little Parker? Possible."

He smiled and contently lay with her, his fingers brushing along her back, first his nails then the pads. "Gwen."

She purred in response. "Mmm?"

He ducked his head to whisper close to her ear. "When this is over...we should go on vacation."

Gwen smiled lightly. "Why's that all in the sudden?"

He stroked her waistline. "I need a...I mean - we need some time off, you know? All of us."

"And where would you like us to go...Mr Bugboy?" Gwen asked innocently yet with a hint of playfulness.

Peter laughed in amusement as glanced the ceiling. It had been some time since she last called him by the nickname she gave him more than ten years ago. Gwen herself grinned happily when she heard the sound of his cute laugh. Peter began, "I don't know, some place tropical?" He suggested. "We're mostly used to winter, makes some sense, but I don't really mind, I'll be happy anyways."

"That's good to hear." Gwen opened her eyes and looked up and cupped his cheeks, admiring his relaxed stance, the tip of her fingers massaging the recently shaved skin, she couldn't remember the time where he let his facial hair grow at all. One of his traits. She honestly preferred this way.

"Me and you, come whatever." He looked down to his wife.

Gwen nodded. They're a codependent team. And despite Peter's best efforts to keep her away from any type of trouble which she could physically help, it would always remain that way.

She suddenly narrowed her eyes in surprise once they caught glimpse of something on the side of her husband's perfect hair.

"What?" Peter raised an eyebrow.

"Is that..." Gwen gently made him turn his head against the pillow so that she could see what got her attention with a more clear view. He mumbled something in discontentment since she was leaning herself over his face, not that he minded. "...grey hair?"

'What - no way." Peter carefully lowered Gwen off him as she let a giggle out and grabbed his phone from the bed's stand and used the screen to check the grey hair Gwen just claimed to have found. "You're messing with me."

Gwen leaned on her elbow and supported her head with the palm of her hand and observed his puzzled expression. "I don't lie, lying is bad." She smirked. "Besides, I probably know you better than you do; you can trust my judgement."

"Still not buying it." After Peter told himself that she was indeed playing around with him, he placed his phone aside and sat on the bed and moved his feet down onto the ground, stretched his shoulders and stood up.

Gwen eyed his boxers as he walked away and towards the bathroom. "What are you doing?" She smiled lightly. "Are you mad at me, honey?"

"You bet." Peter analyzed his reflection in the mirror. Gwen was surprised by his reaction. He groaned. "There's not a single gray hair." He turned on his back inside the bathroom and crossed his arms at her direction.

Gwen lied down with her back propelled against the soft bed, intertwined her slender legs and sensually opened her arms as she let out a content moan, only a single thin sheet covered her chest and waistline. "I was wondering if you'd take years to find out you didn't have any like you took to say 'I love you' to me." She winked. "And by the way, you would look even better with some grey hair, believe me, adds more to the whole responsible daddy vibe, you know?"

Peter rolled his eyes and walked back to the bedroom. He stopped next to the desk in front of the window. He spotted his alter ego's mask positioned right besides a folder that contained his photographic work. "Day off, buddy." He said straight to the mask.

Peter opened the folder also placed next to Gwen's laptop. They're mostly Spider-Man photos, ones he took during free time for an extra paycheck, not that he needed it at all, but he couldn't just sit around do nothing despite getting a bloated paycheck from Tony Stark during his time in the Avengers.

He found one that didn't relate to Spider-Man at all. It wasn't taken by him. "Stole my camera to capture me and David watching some TV?" He smiled happily.

"Well, technically, what's yours is mine, and vice versa." Gwen purred. "Besides, you two we're looking so cute together and I couldn't just ignore it, you'll thank me in a few years when they're older."

Peter briefly moved his thumb over the picture as a gesture of affection. "I know, but I'm not complaining; it's a nice one." He lowered the picture back to the stand, turned around and approached his side of the bed and remained still. "But are you sure about the whole 'what's mine is yours' thing?"

Gwen slowly sat on the bed and kept the sheet closely against her chest as a way to tease her husband. "I'm pretty sure..." She purred once she was nearly the bed's edge, gazing his toned body. She licked her lips and leaned closer to his neck and kissed the naked skin.

Even if they're running out of time alone, she still wanted to leave her handsome husband desiring for more. She loved their playful banter.

Suddenly, Gwen found herself in Peter's arms after he quickly swooped her into them, the sheets were now wrapped around her. She breathed relieved and wrapped both arms around his neck. "Oh my god, I hate when you do this."

Peter turned around and carried her towards their bathroom for a quick shower. "Bath time, Lady Rabbit."

She giggled at the name and playfully raised an eyebrow at him. "You? Turning me down for a shower?"

Once inside, Peter closed the door with his feet, leaving their bedroom missing the human element. "I know, right?"

Later in the morning...

"Honey?!" Gwen called her husband from their bedroom.

"What?!" Peter replied as he watched one of his and the twins' favorite cartoon on the couch. He caressed Aiden's soft and spiky hair. He was sat over his lap and with his back leaned against Peter's torso. He also tightened his grip around David and brought him closer to his chest.

One couldn't express in words how much he missed his boys after a single night.

"I think indeed I'm late!" She continued, her footsteps now getting closer as she walked downstairs.

Peter fixed his eyes on the television. "Late to what, woman?!"

An apartament full of people yelling at each other. He mused.

Gwen laughed to herself. "You aren't paying any attention, are you?" She walked around the sofa and sat on the arm's support. She continued, "Period late."

Peter simple nodded, before instantly looking at his wife after the realization suddenly kicked in. "Wait... you mean... your monthly duties?"

Gwen chuckled and caressed the back of his hair. "Yep." She grinned, playing with his hair by wrapping portions of it around her finger.

Peter smiled back, rather nervously and happy, a mix of emotions. He exhaled deeply. "Oh boy, are you really - I mean, really sure?"

"Slightly late." She answered. "Could be anything, though, still..."

He said to himself, "And we aren't exactly doing anything to not have a child..."

Gwen blushed and smiled to herself, "Precisely."

While Peter was certainly happy, having another kid wasn't something easy to deal with it, there's thousands of tasks that would come along with, but it's something the couple would handle naturally, it's just the emotions of expecting a surprising unexpected pregnancy flowing in his mind at once.

He looked down at the twins, who were barely paying attention to the such important topic, and said, "It wouldn't be bad to have another little rascal." He focused his eyes back to his blonde wife, "Do you have any pregnancy tests around here?"

Gwen shook her head in response. "It's been some time since I last used one."

"What's pregnancy?" Aiden finally asked without taking his eyes away from the large TV.

Gwen exchanged a smile with her husband, before she addressed the question herself, "Pregnancy is when a woman is carrying a little baby on her stomach, womb more accurately."

"Oh, so who's pregnancy?" He tilted his head to the side.

Gwen corrected her son, "Pregnant, we'll find out soon." She stood up and checked the clock on the wall. "Let's head to the pharmacy and pick Lizzie."

Peter patted the twins on their backs. "You guys heard the General Stacy."

---

The two boys, one grown up - mostly, and the four year old twin, Aiden, followed Gwen closely from behind as she calmly headed towards the feminine part of the store. She guided the cart which David found himself inside of it while he ate his chocolate bar, it showed on his lips.

Peter singlehandedly held the basket's long and linear support and dragged it over the shiny ground, the unusual factor is that Aiden was basically sat inside of the basket, just enjoying the ride while smiling boyishly.

"How do you know which one is the one to buy?" Peter approached Gwen as she knelled down in front of the pregnancy tests stand at the feminine's products section of the giant market.

"Relax, I got this." Gwen carefully eyed the lower part of the stand, searching for a specific product.

"If you really did, we wouldn't be here." He teased.

Gwen laughed briefly and quickly looked up at him, fixing him a mock-glare. "It's not totally my fault, you know?" She quipped.

"Hey, you're the woman of the house, you're responsible for everything that happens in there." Peter affirmed cheekily. "It's today's reality." He placed a hand on her waistline and gently adjusted her blouse by slightly lowering it down to her jean's waist level.

She rolled her eyes at the answer and turned back to the stand. "Now, where is it...?"

"There's like a thousands of brands." Peter eyed the countless options. If it were for him he'd pick the most close to him, but he decided to let Gwen choose instead, she probably knows better. He thought.

Gwen grabbed a pink-ish brand, "Here, this is the one I used to buy before you got me pregnant for the first time."

"Not sorry for that, Mamma Stacy didn't get mad at me so there's that." He played along. Gwen smiled happily to herself, remembering the day she announced to him she was indeed carrying their first baby after months of preparation.

"No need to." Gwen read the prescription. "Yeah, this is the one."

He leaned closer to check the small words. "That's the one which said positive when you had Elizabeth?"

She nodded.

Peter sighed and looked at his David. "I'm nervous, guys." He leaned in the cart and gently pinched Dave's nose, "Imagine another one like you two? Or like your sister? Do we even have room for another one?"

David replied while he played with cart's belt, "Yeah."

Peter grinned, amused by the reaction. "These two are definitely stoked..."

"Three? Three is enough?" Gwen asked.

"I don't know, there might be a fourth one in the way." Gwen groaned in disapproval. He chuckled kneeled next to her and agreed, "Yeah, if one comes positive, you take another one, if it comes negative then you take another one, then we'll know."

"It's very rare to get a false one." Gwen affirmed. She turned her head to her side and quickly stole a kiss from Peter, before standing and placing the small boxes inside the cart and moving it further while Peter dragged Aiden's basket with his free hand.

She was somewhat excited for the possibility of having another kid, it was something they hadn't really talked about it recently, after all, they're kinda busy, but it wouldn't be a bad time. While Gwen and her husband never really planned another kid, she would be very, very, very happy regardless.

Peter caught his wife smiling shyly to herself, she seemed a little embarrassed, or happy, for obvious reasons. He couldn't help but smile as well. They couldn't be anything but happy.

"Gwen?" He called gently from behind, dragging Aiden's basket along. The boy was having the time of his life, apparently.

"Yeah, honey?" Her smile widened as she replied, quickly eyeing the many stands while maneuvering the cart.

"You okay?" Peter questioned. He knew Gwen was a very conservative woman regarding some topics, at least when they're in public and not alone.

Gwen nodded. "Of course."

"So...what do you think?"

Gwen chuckled briefly, before answering his question, "If it's positive, it'll be great."

Peter smiled brightly. "You know, I'm glad we always have been on the same page where you and I believe where when we have child, it's meant to be right then and we... well," He poorly held a laugh and continued, "... we weren't really using anything to prevent it."

Gwen giggled and blushed for brief moment. "It would be a good time. I mean - it wouldn't be bad..."

Peter agreed and quickly interrupted her, "No, it would be great."

She repeated, "It would be great."

"Yeah, it would be both." He laughed.

"It would just be a surprise. " Gwen said, excited. "I think we're just so busy to even think about having another kid, I mean - three is already quite the number; I never had this in mind when I was a teen."

"Yeah, I think we're ready to have another kid...but we're not; at this point, we can't ever be ready, when it happens, we'll become ready." He affirmed, not managing to wipe the smile from his face, not that he desired to.

"We'll find out pretty soon." She smirked lightly. "And I know that the best time to take a pregnancy test is on the morning so.."

"Don't worry, honey, I'll keep you distracted until then." He winked and received a mock-glare from his wife in return.

"You are...such a romantic guy, aren't you?"

"If I weren't, you wouldn't fall in love with me." He teased.

Gwen giggled. "I'm pretty sure I fell in love with you by myself, it took you some time to actually make a move."

"Well..." Peter struggled for a reply. "I was worried you were a lot of woman to handle, mommy..."

Her head flicked to face him, a hurt look plastered across it. "Are you saying I'm fat, Peter?"

"What? No, definitely not..." Peter was stammering as he sought to explain, they hadn't had many major arguments yet and he was hoping to keep it that way for a long time. He trailed off as a grin broke out across Gwen's face, realising she was winding him up. "Not funny, Mrs Parker."

"You're so easy to fluster, it's actually pretty cute," Peter huffed, shaking his head at the description. She merely gave him an innocent smile. "I wouldn't take you on a date and force you to make the hardest math exercise ever so that you could prove your worthiness." She stopped on her track and turned around to face her husband.

Peter shrugged. "Even if you did, I would do it regardless." He gripped her waist and leaned closer, connecting his lips into hers and savoring her taste for a few seconds. He whispered closely as they touched foreheads, "You know that I love you, right?"

She rested a hand on his shoulder, taking on his scent. She said softly, "I know, and I love you too." She gently kissed him back, capturing his lower lip and biting it gently, before pulling back, giving her husband a grateful smile and heading towards the many cash-registers with Peter following her closely as he dragged over the shiny ground the bask with wheels which Aiden was sat inside.

Peter suddenly remained still near the corner of a section once he saw his own stand. "It's beautiful..." He said perplexed. His eyes were brighten in adoration.

"Daddy..." Aiden stood up on the cart, like if he had found something divine.

Gwen stopped next to him and caught the twins staring the same spot Peter did. It was Spider-Man's only products, filled with masks, toys, kid sized suits and web shooters that only fired water, thankfully.

"Um... boys...?" Gwen wasn't that much impressed by the merchandise.

"Shhh..." Peter raised a single finger at Gwen without even looking at her. "I need some time...to copyright the hell out of this..."

"And I want to be the real Spider-Man!" David stated firmly. "Be cool!" He said roughly as he flexed both biceps as show of strength, no matter how small his arms actually looked, that couldn't an apparently fearless Parker.

"One day, buddy...one day..." Peter suddenly shook his head and turned his head head to face David. "I mean - no way, end of discussion."

Aiden shot him a cold stare. "Mommy, dad is being mean!"

Gwen waves her hand dismissively. "This discussion is only between you boys." She continued further through the enormous store. She didn't know how they would to talk with their children about their gift's purpose once they're older enough to make their on decisions.

Some distance away from his wife, Peter suddenly caught Gwen changing her course and entering a section he had no clue what it was about. He eventually reached her last seen position and turned on his side, seeing Gwen holding a small baby red pajama in what seemed to be a baby solely dedicated area.

Gwen looked up at him with a heartbroken expression, "Look, honey, it's so cute..."

Oh, no...she didn't. Peter sighed. Her wife always had a weakness for such kind of stuff. She was in heaven. "Right..."

"Aww..." Gwen grabbed a pair of tiny socks. "I miss this."

All the three boys looked at the blonde woman far away. Peter said, "This is the only place on Earth we constantly need to keep your mommy away, guys."

"Oh my goodness...!" Gwen spotted a stand showcasing countless types of shoes for newborns.

---

After stepping out of the elevator, Peter approached the door Gwen had told him to since she was the one that had brought their daughter to her friend's apartment the past day. He could already her fits of giggles from his side, meaning that the other most important girl on his life was having a good time and that made him incredibly satisfied.

As long as Elizabeth was happy, Peter would share the same sentiment. Aside from giving casual and unknown people a motive to always keep smiling as Spider-Man, his family's happiness is his ultimate goal. There's nothing, past or present that he'd put in front of them.

He pressed the tiny button next to the door and patiently waited for a response. It didn't take long for the door to be open as he was greeted by a very old acquaintance he hadn't seen since highschool years, almost fifteen years ago.

"Liz Allen?" Peter raised an eyebrow and smiled surprised. The girl who asked him to take pictures of her boyfriend's car for his birthday, they shared nothing of special at first, but she was there for him when his Uncle passed away.

"Peter, it's been a long time." She smiled reassuringly.

Peter shook his head to check if he was seeing straight. "Wow...I, wow, Gwen didn't told me, but yeah...nice to see you as well." He nodded.

She leaned her shoulder next to the door. "It was a surprise, I didn't know you were still together, Elizabeth told Nathalie who her parents were, and later she questioned me if I knew them so I was surprised, I'm happy for you both, you two always made a cute couple back then."

Peter rubbed the back of his neck, lightly embarrassed to her compliment. "Thanks, means a lot." He said thankfully.

She smiled kindly and offered, "Wanna come in?"

"I would love to sat and talk about the recent years, but Gwen and the boys are waiting for us."

"Oh, no problem -"

"Daddy!" Elizabeth, who was wearing her school's uniform along with her headband that once belonged to her mother, suddenly appeared next to Liz and went to hug her father as he kneeled down to stay on her level.

"I've missed you!" Peter hugged her back and stood up, holding her with both arms.

Allen chuckled at the sight as her own daughter approached her and smiled happily.

"I knew you were here." Elizabeth pulled back to see him eye to eye.

Peter winked, well aware by what she meant with that, a skill she had developed and one he never possessed. He looked up to Allen and gently grabbed his daughter's schoolbag from her hands. "Thank you for taking care of my little girl."

"I'm not little!" She protested and frowned at him.

"Just a little bit rebellious then." He stroked her shiny blonde hair.

They said farewell to Allen and her kid, before Peter lowered Elizabeth and held her hand as they headed together to the elevator and patiently waited for it to arrive into ground level.

"So, Liz, how was your day?" Peter asked. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and brought her closer.

"It was cool, we drew together, watched a movie and played some games." She smiled happily. "By the way, Nathalie has a puppy just like ours!"

"All of that sounds awesome." He trailed small circles with the tip of his finger over her cheek. "Oh, it's very early to even talk about this, but there's a chance that mommy might be pregnant."

Elizabeth widened her green eyes at her father. She smiled lightly, excited about the possibility of having another member of the family in their house. "Does that mean I'm getting a little sister now?"

Peter thought Elizabeth would get a little bit jealous at first, but once again, his expectations were inaccurate, she always has been understanding and supportive since she knew she would getting two baby brothers years ago.

He briefly chuckled to himself. "Just hold on, okay? It's early, I don't want to let you down if mommy turns out to be not pregnant." He caressed her hand with his thumb. "But yeah, you could have a baby sister."

"Sweet!" Elizabeth almost jumped in excitement. Her shiny green eyes she inherited from Gwen where brighter than ever. "Where would she sleep, though?" Elizabeth wondered.

"Liz..."

Elizabeth rubbed her chin and frowned. "Maybe in my room...?" She murmured to herself.

"Eliza-"

"That woud be so cool!" She grinned. "We need to come up with a name-"

Peter insisted, "Elizabeth!"

She looked up to her father with a rather curious expression. "Daddy?"

"I'm just saying - let's calm down, okay, sweetie?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and scoffed, something Peter found incredibly cute, he didn't need to look far to see from who she had gotten that from. "You're no fun." She moved a hair bang away from her left eye with an annoyed exhale of air.

Peter shrugged his shoulders in response, but kept his right arm around her shoulder while the elevator descended back to firm ground with a relaxing beat coming from the speakers. The doors eventually opened, revealing the hallway's view to the two Parkers. He held her hand and walked towards the main exit with Elizabeth accompanying him the whole way.

Once outside, Peter noticed the sky was now darker than before, he had lost count of the time he spent inside the building. Not far away, Peter spotted their car, Gwen was checking her makeup through a small mirror she always carried in her purse while the twins were non-stop laughing at something. They probably discovered something with their Uncle Howard during some phone call and now we're talking about it. At least 'idiot' wasn't part of their vocabulary anymore. Peter thought.

Later when the pair settled themselves inside the car and Gwen drove them back to the main street, Peter crossed his arms asked, "Did you know Liz Allen was there?"

"Of course I did." Gwen nodded. "I wouldn't drop our daughter somewhere without knowing the people she would be with, it's like you don't know me."

He continued calmly, "Why didn't you tell me, though?"

"It was a surprise; it's not everyday you get to see an old-school friend." Gwen answered. She and Allen did spend some time together during highschool days, mostly to study that's it.

Peter rubbed the tip of his nose, thinking. "Well, I barely used to talk to her; I remember feeling dumped back then."

Gwen raised an eyebrow. There's some story there which she didn't know about. "What do you mean by 'dumped'...?"

"Oh, never mind." Peter cleared his throat, faking a whole state of hesitation and awkwardness.

Gwen slightly turned on her seat and pursued his eyes with a suspicious expression. "Honey...?"

Peter stood witv arms crossed. He was holding himself to not grin. He was finally having his wife for a moment, at least once in every thousand years. "It's in the past now."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Wait, are you telling me...that you and Allen had a..." She paused, realizing what she was about to say. "...a thing before we got together?"

Getting heated...

He turned to look at her and focused on her curious yet shocked gaze. She seemed incredibly jealous. His concentrated expression suddenly vanished as he bursted into fits of laughs at Gwen's reaction.

"What's so funny?" She asked incredulously, observing him trying to calm himself down.

Peter rubbed his eyes, wiping a single tear. He couldn't breath. "You had to see your face, Gwendy." He chuckled. "Nothing ever happened, obviously, I just thought she wanted to go to a date with me before you and I and started talking for good, that's it."

Gwen exhaled deeply. "So, you..."

"Nope, god, we have nothing in common!" He smiled, but Gwen only gave him a cold store in return as she focused back in the traffic in front of them. "I love when you get mad, most of the time." He realized she was playing hard to get and decided to move along. "Where's your boots?" He caught her feet only wearing socks for some unknown reason.

"Under the seat." Gwen replied seriously. "They're getting uncomfortable."

"Hm...alright then." Peter wished he had his professional camera nearby just to capture Gwen driving without any shoe or boots, the simplicity and unique sight just asked for it. He'd love to see every picture they had taken when they're older, recall the best moments of their lives.

He smiled to himself, and Gwen did notice the sudden sign of happiness spread across her husband's lips. She asked gently, "...and what are you smiling for?"

Peter looked into the sky through the front mirror as he leaned his back against the seat and sighed contently. "Just...I'm just appreciating our moments together."

"O-Okay..." Gwen analyzed his expression. He did look happy, more than he often did after beating Ultron.

She didn't asked about it too much because she wanted him to emotionally heal on his own pace, she knew her husband was still affected by the aftermath, and how couldn't he? Gwen herself got emotionally wrecked after the whole Clocktower incident, but he was there for her, and so was she now.

Gwen quickly gazed the mirror, seeing Elizabeth reading a children's book May had bought to her, literature seemed to be her thing, much to Gwen's relief, she was glad her daughter enjoyed discovering new worlds and tales by simple holding a book in her hands.

As for her boys, they're now sleeping as usual, both leaning their heads against each other's. They're together when she carried them, and they're also together now. She couldn't honest ask for anything else than a brotherly and healthy relationship between them.

Peter broke the comfortable silence, "Isn't there something neat to listen in the radio?"

Gwen smirked as she handled the car's wheel. "I know this station..."

Peter deadpanned. "Yeah - no, you're country girl." He shook his head. "No way I'm listening to those songs."

"What's wrong with country? Do you want to hear classical instead?"

Peter groaned in disapproval. He moved his forward into the car's radio but Gwen quickly slapped his hand away. He playfully raised an eyebrow. "What? How old are we again?"

Gwen shrugged her shoulders and said proudly, "I'm twenty three years old."

Peter chuckled at her answer, before affirming serious, "Right, you look twenty three years old while I'm the rugged alpha male."

She giggled to herself. Her husband had no bounds to his cheesiness. "Honey, if there's something you are not, it's alpha, you're too much soft to be that." Peter fixed her a mock glare. "What about you, Liz, you think your father is soft as well?"

Elizabeth moved her eyes away from the book she was reading in the backseat and looked up. She smiled teasingly. "Too soft, mom."

"There you go." Gwen winked for her husband.

Peter turned on his seat and narrowed his eyes at his only daughter. "Thank you, Elizabeth Stacy Parker." She shrugged in response. "Your support is overwhelming, since day one." He saw the twins sleeping and leaned against each other's shoulders. He knew they would stick up for him, at least someone in their family would.

"It seems I win as usual." Gwen said cockily as he resumed his previous position. She went to turn on the radio but quickly hesitated when a police car fastly passed besides them with it's siren echoing across the avenue. She turned her head to Peter's side and saw him steadily following the car's tracks with his brown eyes. "Peter...?"

He stood quiet for a brief moment, before gulping and smiling reassuringly. "It's okay, I got the day off...and I actually can do that."

Gwen nodded. She finally activated the radio and pressed the random station song so that the selection can be fair. She could heard Peter muttering something to himself, apparently he was teasingly praying that their next possible child be more supportive and active.

It seemed like he was sure. Gwen noticed.

The mixer in matter of seconds finally chose a track. Bon Jovi.

I walk these streets, a loaded six-string on my back, I play for keeps 'cause I might not make it back...

The couple looked at each other and exchanged a curious glance. Peter smirked happily. Gwen actually had heard the song before, and she surpringly enjoyed it very much. "Bon Jovi."

Peter asked in shock, "Sweet child of mine. How do you know?"

She turned around, exaggerating the spin and puffing her chest out slightly. She raised an eyebrow, pouting slightly as she replied. "Maybe I am a rock chick after all," He smirked giving her a disbelieving look. "Fine, I heard it on Elizabeth's IPod."

"I knew it-" Peter was cut short when Gwen suddenly changed the station to a more pop-focused one. "Taylor Swift...?" He asked aghast.

Gwen kept grinning to herself as he gazed her with a 'are you serious' kind of expression.

"Can I say the only time I ever consider breaking up with you is when you're listening to Taylor Swift?" He teased.

Gwen laughed, surprised by his affirmation. She shook her head and quickly stared the front mirror to check on their children. She saw Elizabeth looking at them with shocked eyes. "What's up, sweetie?"

Peter turned on his seat. Elizabeth replied concerned, "Are dad and mom going to...break up...?"

Gwen and Peter exchanged a curious stare at each other, mentally talking to one another. She answered first, "Of course not; it was just a silly joke, right, daddy?"

Peter nodded and gave his daughter a reassuringly kind smile. "Yep, your mother and I are just meant to be..." He caught Gwen grinning lightly on his corner. "...don't worry, we're all together through whatever the future may bring."

---

After saying goodbye to Gwen who took their kids and went to the nearest store to buy the rest of the dinner's ingredients, Peter was supposedly meant to start cooking the basics to gain some precious time. He opened the building's front door and stepped inside the reception. It was empty. No sign of the doorman. That never happened before. There was always someone present, or else anyone skilled enough could enter the building without any kind of barrier.

He shrugged his shoulders and walked forward and towards the elevator, but quickly stopped on his tracks after his consciousness warned him of a possible situation coming from the visitor's bathroom, located in the small hallway between the elevators and the reception.

Now he couldn't ignore it. Something was definitely wrong.

Peter approached the bathroom and slowly opened its doors, seeing nothing but apparently empty cabins. He glanced back and forth. He walked inside and checked his surroundings before his eyes settled themselves at the large horizontal mirror where all the sinks were placed under it.

In the stall behind him, he heard a toilet flush. The hairs on the back of his neck rose; whomever had entered the washroom had been there since his arrival. Far longer than was needed to do any business. Either way…

The stall door slammed open and Peter ducked, seeing the glint of metal in the bathroom's mirror. The movement saved his life, as the knife skittered across his cheek instead of slitting his throat.

He quickly moved backwards to gain some space between him and the intruder. He was about to press the palm of his hand but quickly realized he wasn't wearing his webshooters. "This doesn't have to go this way." He warned. "If I wanted you dead you'd be, back off."

His opponent ignored the remark and went forward, aiming the knife at him.

The knife thrust past, less than an inch from Peter's eye as he fastly leaned to the side. It slammed into the wall behind him and he heard his assailant cry out as the man's knuckles were skinned against the wall tiles. But the man recovered and elbowed Peter in the face, causing him to stumble into the bathroom stall. The knife wasn't very large, but it didn't need to be. Three inches would be too much, and Peter was quite naked with his current attire, no protection; an easy target for any would-be assassin.

The close-quarters of the washroom meant that Peter's usual distant hand-to-hand fighting style was useless as his back would be permanently against a wall. He was forced to resort to close-in, which meant that his arms would be lower to protect his midriff. Unfortunately that meant more headshots. His opponent was only human, yet trained. Peter didn't bother to catalogue the man's looks. He was too busy just trying to stay alive.

Once he caught a freak, Peter slammed the man's head down on the rim of the toilet bowl. The water turned bright red. He looked to the man's side. overcome with pain, he had dropped his knife. Peter picked it up in a reverse grip and stood still as his opponent gasped heavily.

Should he do it? Was it bad that he even considered murdering the man? He wondered as he gritted his teeth.

The attacker slowly recomposed himself. He eventually stood up and faced Peter, struggling to stand on his feet. His target was much more stronger than expected, in every way.

Peter kicked him in the stomach and sent the man flying against the wall, careless enough that he didn't know if the assassin was alive. Peter wiped a traced of blood sliding down his lips and kneeled to check the man's pulse.

He was still breathing.

Violence was a drug, unmatched in its potency save for intimate affection. Once a man had got the taste for it, he was very difficult to satisfy. Avengers were often exposed to it. That craving in the hands of the wrong trained individual could be disastrous. And the results were the very people Peter fought.

Spider-Man was the living proof that one could resist such primal urges, not get corrupted and coordinate his will to the greater good. He could have simply used his gifts for something else, but he didn't.

The spider within him was howling in triumph, and demanding more. Peter fought down the darkness as he took a few steps back from the body. He stripped his jacket off and took a look at his white shirt. It wasn't white anymore, but had been stained with sweat and blood. He stripped it off and took a look at the cut on his arm, and the one on his weren't closed, but they were smaller. The one on his cheek had stopped bleeding, and the other was only seeping where before there had been a steady stream.

Working quickly, he cleaned the knife and used it to cut a strip out of the shirt. He tied that onto his shoulder and tested it experimentally. The arm worked fine. Shoving the knife in his back pocket, he turned the tap on and washed the blood off his face, chest, and hands. He almost looked normal, aside from the new wound on his face. Perhaps it was a bad thing he had shaved; a stubble would do a good job of hiding it. Gwen would spot it, certainly, but his children hadn't been around him enough to not recognize it as simply another scar.

Peter turned around and calmly headed towards the closed door. He couldn't even remember the last time he fought someone without his suit. Now, he wasn't holding it back.

When inches from the door, Peter stood still once again. He stated it with cold eyes. "Will I have to take on all of you at the same time?" He challenged, getting no response in return.

The door slowly opened, revealing a group formed by four men wearing black clothes standing in front of the door and next to each other.

Peter tilted his head to the side. He craved one of those for quite sometime now. "Then so be it."

---

Present time...

Peter slowly opened his eyes and raised his chin to see what was going on. He now found himself sat in a cold metallic chair. His hands were trapped in the armrest, and some type of sedation kept him and his strength in check. He was growing impatient, the desire to break free and cause a wreck was constant, but he was unable in doing so.

The only available door was suddenly open with the same tall, dark and haired man strolling inside, bringing a folder under his right arm as the previous guards also headed inside and resumed their position next to the door that automatically closed.

"Feeling better?" He stopped in front of Peter and crossed his both arms.

"Squirrel, I...can't help you with what you're asking, Harry Osborn is dead." Peter stated firmly. "Unless you've found a way to bring people back from the dead, he remains that way."

The man sighed heavily. "Your statement doesn't match this." He opened the folder and showed the first picture to his prisoner.

Peter stood emotionless as he saw a very similar person - if not identical to Harry walking inside the bank where his father's briefcase was left, and he was indeed holding it. He also seemed a bit different, wearing a coat and dark glasses, probably trying to avoid any unnecessary attention. It was him.

He continued, "Now, tell me, why'd he walk inside the bank, leave that briefcase for you, and then one day later you're there to retrieve it? Coincidence? I don't believe in that." He paused. "You're aiding him, so you're wanted for treason, and that gives me the right of doing whatever the hell I want you; that's why you're here in the first place."

To say that Peter was shocked would be a monumental understatement. Suddenly, a big and painful hole was felt inside his stomach. It had to be a mistake, he saw the life leave his once best friend's body, his Butler confirmed his death to Gwen. It wasn't possible.

"Nice shots, Tex." He joked.

'Squirrel' rolled his eyes. "So, can you now come clean with me?"

Peter gulped. "Why are you even after him?" He asked.

"That's none of your business; you stick to your meaningless life and I stick to mine."

Peter ignored the remark. His eyes remained directed at the picture for a few more seconds, before he finally looked up to the man in front of him. He didn't say a word, there wasn't a single word that could express the hurricane of mixed emotions within him. The only thing he wanted to do was to find his friend, after he's done with them.

"You know, this meaningless life of mine...guaranteed you the right of going further with your life more than twice." Peter stated aghast. "And I don't know what are you and who you work for, but if you threat those close to me once again, I swear I'm gonna track every single of you and take that right back...that's promise."

"Okay..." The interrogator waited for an answer to his original question which never came. Peter's stare was becoming unsettling. "Gathering your thoughts...?"

Peter smirked evilly. He cocked his head to the side and answered huskily, "I'm just wondering something."

"What...?"

Peter smiled, menacingly. "Just which one of you bastards I'm going first to beat the living crap of once I'm free of here."

Impatient, the man sighed heavily. He wasn't getting any results, and the whole thing was becoming tiresome. He ordered, "Put him to sleep again, he's getting violent."

---

New York - Parker's Apartment

Gwen pushed open the double doors leading from her bedroom to the balcony and stepped barefooted out onto the terrace as a gentle breeze rustled the hem of her nightgown. The cool late night air sent a momentary shiver down her back as she slowly walked to the edge of the balcony, taking in the sweeping views of New York's illuminated and now calm streets.

She held Peter's illustrious mask on her right hand, the closest thing she had from him aside from their children. His scent was still all over the spandex. It comforted her. Placing her hands on the rail, she looked up and was met with thousands of brilliantly shining stars casting their vivid white light down upon the city.

Even if her mother had volunteered to sleep in the apartment and help her take core of the twins, she was tired, emotionally.

Closing her eyes, Gwen breathed in the crisp, purifying air as she allowed her mind to drift.

Then she felt the gentle touch of two strong hands on her hips and warm breath on her neck as Peter leaned in and kissed her tenderly just below her right ear. Sighing peacefully, she reached down and took his hands, wrapping them tighter around her waist as she leaned back into him, drinking in the sweet kisses he planted down her neck.

Where you have been?

Her eyes still closed, she allowed him to spin her around to face him as she draped her arms over his shoulders, leaned in, and touched her forehead to his.

You keep me waiting too long.

Pulling his head in closer, she opened her mouth expectantly as their lips touched and the electric charge she always felt when they kissed echoed throughout her body.

As he pulled away from her, Gwen beamed as she slowly opened her eyes. But then her smile faded and her face betrayed her loneliness as she realized he wasn't there and was left staring back across the empty balcony.

Swallowing as she turned back around to face the sky, she grasped the railing more resolutely and looked back up into the vastness of the universe.

I will find you.

---

May 18th - 2015

After hearing the sound of someone knocking the door of Gwen's Aunt house who recently moved from England and to the most popular city in America, Gwen approached the fancy door without taking a peek through the magical eye and opened it calmly, instantly getting surprised once she saw her ex-boyfriend standing in the porch with both hands stashed inside his black jacket's pockets while the refreshing wind of the afternoon flew against them.

It had been six months since they last talked to each other. She didn't thought they'd meet anytime soon, and she couldn't figure how did he find her, but that question quickly vanished once her suspicious became the truth, he was indeed looking over her despite their personal problems.

"Peter..." She said softly, breaking the silence that lasted for seconds. She analyzed his expression, she could notice he was rather nervous, but he managed to place a short grin across his lips, one that gave the message he was more than happy to see her.

Peter smiled friendly. "Hi, Gwen."

Gwen was speechless. The whole moment between them felt different.

He continued, "I didn't have your new number."

Gwen exhaled sharply and cracked a comprehensive smile. "No, no, it's okay, I - I write you the new one, but I'm...um...just...surprised."

He nodded in agreement. For some reason, it felt a lifetime since they last met. Lots of thing had changed once they took their own aways and moved away from each other. "How's Simon?"

Gwen leaned her shoulder against the wall and crossed her arms under her breasts. "Good, he's playing with his cousins."

Peter nodded to himself once again, relieved. He moved his eyes away from the always beautiful woman in front of him and quickly gazed his surroundings, scanning the house. "Nice place...cool."

Gwen wanted to smile at his evasiveness, but she refrained herself in doing so. "Peter, you didn't come here to talk about my Aunt's house." He looked up, now seeming to be more serious, yet afflicted. "You alright?" She asked.

Peter looked down to the floor. He didn't imagined it would be this hard to say what he wanted to say. He smiled to himself, her innocence towards his own world couldn't guess everything that was going on, and he didn't blame her. Not at all. "No, not really."

"What's going on?" Gwen questioned, paying attention to his reluctant expression.

He breathed heavily and met her deep green eyes. "Look...I have no illusions, okay - I know that the life I take...I know how it ends for me...but I made my peace with that."

Gwen remained quiet, even if she wanted to comfort him badly after the words he still pursued to explain his lifestyle, one that didn't need to be as he claimed it to be.

Peter continued, "I want you to know...that who I do picture myself happy with...is with you," He affirmed calmly while seriously. He needed to make sure that Gwen knowledges he would aways care for her, a lot, even if they couldn't be together, for her own sake. He never intended to hurt her throughout their relationship, that was the least of his desires.

Gwen smiled very lightly, trying to contain it. He never confessed said anything like that to her before, and although she always knew, it was nice to see him affirm that by himself.

Peter smirked to himself, briefly. "...and everyone else together - like Simon, the whole family." He turned his attention to the ground, getting somewhat ashamed by the confession.

Gwen smiled happily after hearing his passionate words. A side of Peter she was waiting to appear, the side of a determined and grown up man. She didn't know how to properly react or what to say. "Well, I.."

Peter interrupted her and said in hurry, "You don't have to say anything."

She cut him off, "No, I...I do, Peter...I want it too." Had she just said that she wanted the same as well? He instantly looked up and connected her eyes with hers. Gwen was smiling, carefully. She began, "It's...cold out here, let's get inside and I'll get you a coffee, we talk in there."

She went to turn around but quickly stopped on her tracks. "I wish I could." He gulped.

Gwen didn't understand his hesitation.

Peter sighed lightly, regretting to have come close to her once again. He let her hand go and said heartbroken, "Take care of yourself, Gwendy."

He turned on his shoulder but Gwen held his hand first, keeping him still. "No - wait, you can't just say stuff like that and then leave." She affirmed, she could see there was something holding him back, and it wasn't the damn promise, it was worse.

Peter closed his eyes without turning to face her. He sighed and bit his lips, before resuming his previous position. "I know, and I'm sorry." Peter apologized. "But I don't have choice."

"Yeah - you do...you do, you can just get inside and we can talk personally." Gwen insisted as she gestured inside and tried to enter the house if Peter hadn't gently grabbed her wrist, stopping her from doing so.

The notion of how much he missed her touch, her delicate and smooth skin came to flourish once again, but he'd have to leave again, probably for good this time. "Wait, it's very likely that bad things will happen to me in the hours yet to come, and I don't know if I will ever come back..."

"What? What's going on?"

"Whatever happens I'll make sure you'll be okay." He continued, "This hunter, he knows who I really am, he knows everything about me, my friends, the ones I love and a lot more, like you." He paused. "I made a deal for you and May."

"Deal?"

"I'll not get into this duel he offers if he doesn't agree with some conditions, he wants me to battle him to death, and if I don't...he'll make me, whatever it takes, there's no escape."

"Whatever you're thinking of doing don't do it." Gwen said softly. "We can sort this out, together, please." She begged.

Peter stood quiet. He held her hand with his. "You can't, and I can't continue to give you this life, you deserve a lot more, and I can't grant you anything."

Gwen shook her head. "Don't...just...stay a little longer, talk to Simon."

Peter smiled weakly, but it quickly vanished as he moved his eyes away from hers. He cleared his throat. "It's better if I don't..." He said huskily, looking at her beautiful face as she ultimately nodded to herself.

Gwen realized she was fighting a lost battle to talk him down from walking away again, but now he was heading towards a direction she didn't know if he'd ever come back from. She was more worried about Peter Parker than the state of their relationship, and it's always have been like that.

Observing her sadder expression of acceptance, Peter gently moved a lock of her blonde hair behind her left ear. He brushed his cheek against hers for a brief yet eternal time. He whispered, "You will never be alone."

---

Alone...

"He took on nine of our guys alone, there's something wrong with him until we knocked him out." The mysterious voice paused. "Maybe he's one of them, it's a possibility.

Peter's vision slowly started to come back. He blinked his eyes, resisting the toxins that were floating on his veins. He had to stand up. He had to fight. Too many people were counting on him to come back from whatever might the place where he currently was.

He looked up to the ceiling and howled furiously while he tried to break free from the chair's armrest locks, instantly getting attention from the two guards who were chatting between themselves next to the door. His right hand was the first to free itself from the chair, quickly followed by the second. He was still chained to both hands.

Peter opened his arms and broke the cuffs apart. His strength was now coming back to him. He stretched his shoulders, moaned lightly and fixed a deadly stare at the two guards who where in state of shock.

They weren't expecting the prisoner to break free by solely relying on his strength which they now deemed it unnatural. No one ever had accomplished such thing. It was impossible.

The first guard retrived a baton from his waistline's grip and took a few steps forward, ready to engage Peter while the other reported what was going on inside the cell by his radio.

When close enough, the man aggressively tried to land his weapon over Peter's shoulder if Peter hadn't quickly held the incoming arm and later swung his closed and free fist across the guard's face, causing the baton to fall from his hand and into the floor.

The man instantly placed his other hand over Peter's left shoulder. One single punche caused him to bleed through his mouth and get him stunned. Peter grabbed his arm, shoved it away and used his free hand to punch him once again. Before Peter could succeed with another blow coming on his opponent's left side, the man successfully raised his left arm to protect his flank as Peter's right arm and fist was already on their way, and once again he blocked it by repeating the same action.

Peter had enough of it and went forward with an uppercut in the man's chest, quickly followed by a now precise blow across his face that stunned him for good as the guard took one step backwards due to the force he was put against to. Peter fastly took advantage of the opening and grabbed the man through the back of his shirt, pressed his knee against his stomach and threw him across the room, sliding over the floor just to slid-crash against a wall.

He sighed and turned around to face the second guard who was taken by surprise after watching the brutality. He stood next to the door and raised his baton at Peter's direction as a form of a warning. "Enough! I'm just working here for a week - please - I don't want to hurt you!

Peter didn't expressed a single emotion. His face was as blank as a paper. "I don't think that's going to be a problem..."

He closed both fists.

---

New York - Sam's Apartment

Sam excitedly synched her phone to her earphones and chose a track to her taste, mostly modern pop culture. She smiled content and headed inside her apartment's kitchen, before grabbing a large circular metallic plate from inside the counter and later placing a frozen pizza over it. She cut a few slices of pepperoni and carefully allocated them to precise spots so that there wasn't any disproportionate space between the slices.

She grinned happily as she calmly danced to herself next to the counter.

After placing the plate inside the stove, Sam circled around the kitchen's countertop and stopped behind the couch. She grabbed her videogame's controller under the cushions and opened the famous app that streamed a huge collection of movies that were just waiting to her food to become ready so that she could pick one.

Before she could sit, relax and use her phone, her door's bell was activated and caught her in surprise. She wasn't expecting anyone to come at her apartment anytime soon.

Suspicious.

Sam sighed. She stood up, murmuring something to herself until she arrived in front of the door. She unlocked it with the keys and half opened it, seeing a very pretty blonde woman standing on the other side with arms crossed. She was wearing a black hoddie, a backpack could be seen wrapped around her right shoulder.

"I don't suppose you're here to massage my gums...am I right?" Sam questioned, seriously, quickly eyeing the visitor's figure. "You could be, though."

Gwen tilted her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. Was the girl...flirting with her? "Um...not really, but I could use your help, it's urgent."

"Oh," Sam paused. "Have we met before?" She closed her arms.

"We...both share one acquaintance, a guy that you accidentally threw to another dimension." Gwen replied, avoiding the name 'Spider-Man' in case if someone was hearing them.

Sam widened her eyes. "Him...?" Gwen nodded. She fully opened the door and gestured the blonde to come inside, before closing the door, locking it and turning on her back.

Gwen analyzed the apartment. Very well organized. Color neutral. Not a bad place to live. She thought to herself.

"So...you're... Spider-Man's sister, aunt or...girlfriend...?" Her last speculation option came off as if she was disappointed.

Gwen turned to face her. "I'm his wife to be more precise." She knew Peter trusted the girl, and if she would ask for her help, she couldn't hide his real name from her any longer. She hoped it was the right decision. "Peter Parker's wife." She took a deep breath. "You have to promise me that you won't mention this to anybody else though, he trusts you very much."

Sam raised her hands in defense. "Don't worry; I know who Spider-Man is for months now." She smiled.

"You unmasked him that night?" Gwen asked, shocked.

She shook her head. "Nope, hacked into his cellphone, just to be safe." She replied. "Turns out his safety wasn't that safe as he claimed it to be, amateurs."

Gwen stood motionless. She was surprised at her skills. "Well...since everyone who could help me is off the city, you're my only chance, and it seems that you know what you do."

"Oh yeah." She nodded cockily. "So, what's going on? What can I do to help?"

Gwen exhaled deeply and relaxed herself. She sat over the couch's armrest and crossed her arms under her breasts. "He's missing, someone attacked him at our apartment, the place is a wreck...I'm sure someone has him, and the police is useless right now, no matter how much time they're going to spend inside that bathroom" She paused. "Can't you...I don't know, track him down with your gifts?"

Sam leaned her back against the wall. "It doesn't work like that; I need a location, you know? So that I can go to him, and...if I do it, I'll be on the Hunter's radar again."

"He told me about them, but...please, I really need your help, I can't do this alone, it's really beyond my reach."

Sam hesitated. She coud see the fear in the woman's eyes. She also knew if it was opposite, if she was the one in danger, Peter would help her without thinking twice. "Alright..." She nodded. "But Peter will be owning one to me."

Gwen smiled thankfully. "I'll remember him of that."

Sam unfolded her arms, grabbed her laptop from the coffee table placed in front of the couch and sat next to Gwen. She started typing something inside the small back console that Gwen was having trouble to understand as she narrowed her eyes at the screen.

Coding or anything computer related was never her thing.

"What are you doing?" She inquired, curious.

"First try; beaking into the city's antennas, then the country's." Sam replied without looking at the blonde next to her. She briefly moved a lock of her dark raven hair behind her ear and resumed on her task.

Gwen tilted her head to the side. "Isn't that illegal...?"

"Underage drinking is illegal; punching a cop is illegal; this is piece of cake." She shrugged.

Gwen deadpanned. She wasn't sure the girl was actually being serious by telling events of her life or if she was just messing around. She continued to know her better. "How do you know all of this?"

Sam giggled. "Aside from the usual whining, videogame's forums can actually teach you something, and there's the fact I had to learn how to avoid the Hunter's radars." She explained.

Gwen hummed something to herself in amusement while Sam didn't finish what she was doing. She wondered if the girl had any familiar figure around, she seemed to live all by herself, and if Peter was right, she was indeed alone, and her abilities apparently were what caused that.

"Damnit." Sam cursed. She stop typing and gazed the laptop's screen with disappointed eyes.

"What?"

"It's his number's signal, it's being blocked." She answered. "I can't get through it, this can't...be true."

Gwen hugged herself, hiding her hands back into the hoodie's sleeeves. "What now?"

Sam moved her laptop aside and stood up. She stroked her chin as she started pacing around, trying to come with a second plan, or third, as long as it takes to bring her friend back. She stopped, as if realization had kicked by, and turned around to face Gwen. "Do you have anything physical that you share with your husband? Like - something you both have."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, it has to be something similar, if not equal, something unique only you guys have." She paused. "It's something Quantum, I have no idea if this works, I never practiced it before."

"I heard that before, but it was speculated they break the law of physics." Gwen gently slid her wedding ring off her finger, taking a short moment to observe it's meaning to her.

Sam smiled sympathetically, she could already see the deep bond the blondie shared with Peter. "Yeah, the unknown is truly complex." Gwen willingly handed her the ring. She carefully took into her head, she felt the other end through it. "I guess becoming one with one another can be a single thing." She frowned, thinking about what she just said. "Did that make any sense to you...?"

"Um...kinda...?" Gwen hugged herself. "What now?"

Sam looked up to her and questioned, "You sure you want to go if this works?" She paused. "We don't know what we might find, he's probably in danger."

"Out of the question, we're doing this together." Gwen stubbornly replied.

Sam smiled lightly. "Hold my hand, it will feel like a second went by."

---

Peter was breathless and kneeled on the ground, physically drained, and emotionally conflicted. There still were holes on his life he was still trying fill with answers so that he could finally move on. An once close ghost was now knocking on his own very door. He didn't know if he should open the door and pursue closure, or to simply ignore it.

The last option seemed to be the most appropriate one, to everyone around him. He'd sacrifice his wishes for the safety of his beloved ones, but such action wasn't an easy one to execute. He couldn't simply bury one of the most important people on his life once again.

If there's a chance, he felt obligated to take it, for him.

He was gasping heavily. His surroundings were a total chaos. What looked to be a commanding center filled with computers and desks was completely torn apart, even some of the lights in the ceiling were constantly blinking in malfunction.

Workers of the group that went after him at his very apartment, threatening the security of his family who he always gave his best to keep them away from his secondary and dangerous life, were lying in the ground next to Peter and at every corner of the room.

They all tried to stop him.

You're gonna fail, and this?! This is what you're going to become!

He breathed roughly, checking his corners, seeing no movement from any living being. He didn't know if they're even alive. His shirt and jacket had red stains spread all over it. His heart was racing fast.

What have I done...?

He cleared his throat and carefully gazed his hands. They're trembling in fear.

"Peter...?!"

Someone called his name, but he was too confused to even notice it. His mind was traveling between countless thoughts. Suddenly, he felt two pair of delicate hands gently pressed against his cheeks. They carefully forced him to look up to the mysterious person.

It was Gwen. She had knelled to be on his level as well. She seemed deeply concerned and her terrified facial expression only reinforced such thought. "Peter...tell me you had to do this; please - tell me...you had no other choice!"

Peter met her beautiful green eyes. He was speechless. He didn't know how to react.

Gwen gulped and hugged him as he instinctively lowered his head against her shoulder, conforting her husband who couldn't expressions any words due to his current state of confusion and fear. She stroked his hair as a way to relax his armed muscles.

Crouched next to one of the Hunters, while checking their pulse, Sam observed the couple, she could see Peter seemed okay and safe. She later broke the silence from behind them and informed, "They're all alive, but unconscious." Gwen slightly turned her head to see her. "Not that they deserved; Peter spared all of them." She stood up and went to check one of the many computers, they seemed to be working. She would gather what she could about them, their origins, who they work for and more.

Gwen nodded, before turning back to her husband. She felt him calmer now. How could even doubt him? Peter always put human lives before himself, he always placed the possibility of negating such view down on the list, until there wasn't anything else he could do. It wouldn't be now that would change.

"It's okay, honey..." Gwen whispered and kissed the side of his head. She looked up to Sam and said, "We should go, it's better if you delete everything about Peter and you, just to be safe."

"I'm working on that." Sam affirmed. She suddenly frowned at the screen in front of her. "Should I...wipe all the files regarding 'Harry Osborn? They're related to Peter's."

Gwen widened her eyes at the sudden name's mention. Could this be all about him after all? Were they after Peter to find the man who died years ago after fighting alongside his best friend? She thought.

Gwen sighed and answered, "No, save them for later..."

---

Upstate New York - Two Whales Hotel

Inside their quarters, Peter and Gwen were both taking a shower together. They arrived at the nearest hotel in the road by using one of the Hunter's cars after Sam made sure it was clean of any bugs and trackers.

Sam herself was currently wasted from teleporting she and Gwen to Peter, it had taken most of her energy, and she was recovering her strength in a room at the same corridor where the couple was staying on.

The hot and relaxing vapor of the warm water filled the bathroom and covered the shower's walls made of glass, adding a stronger sense of coziness to the two Parkers located inside of it.

Peter leaned his soaked forehead against Gwen's as she covered her hand with the soap's foam and massaged her husband's chest. He snaked both arms around her naked waist, feeling traces of water landing against his shoulders and sliding down his back.

Her hands eventually moved up against his skin and reached his neck, her eyes accompanied the movement until she looked up and locked them with Peter's. She broke the comforting silence that evolved them, "I''ve missed you." She placed the tip of her finger over his lower lip.

He closed his eyes at the affectionate touch, before whispering closely, "I'm so sorry..."

Gwen wrapped her left arm around his neck while her right hand rested on his shoulder. She asked softly, "What are you apologizing for?"

Peter replied, "For dragging you into this confusion, for making you search for me and getting in danger; it's not right, you and the kids deserve more." He slightly opened his eyes and gazed her green orbs.

"You don't have to apologize for anything, it's not your fault, it's nobody's fault." She affirmed kindly. "What matters is that I've found you."

He exhaled deeply. "My job is to keep you safe..."

Gwen caressed the back of his wet hair. "And what do you think my job is?" He stood quiet, taking in her words. "You sacrifice everything for me, for us, don't you think I'd do the same for you?" She continued, "You're my husband, Peter, there's absolutely nothing I wouldn't for you."

If there was something Peter always knew Gwen wasn't, it was weak, but pretty much the contrary, a strong willed woman who would always pursue her goals until they're achieved. He couldn't go against her wishes, he couldn't simply lock her away from his problems, no matter how much he tried to, it's what she wanted after all.

They're a team.

Peter gently placed his left hand on the side of her and brushed a lock of her golden hair past her ear. "I've no idea what I have I done on this life to deserve you." He confessed. "Anyone else would probably just leave me due to who I am, and I'd understand."

"I know what I want," Gwen kissed his soaked pulse and gazed him once again. "And I want you, always did." She leaned closer and captured his lips, shuddering in delight as more traces of water started to land on her body minus her hair.

"I love you."

Gwen said huskily, "I love you more." She paused. "And honestly? You don't think much high of yourself as you should, honey; you're pretty much else my notion of a perfect man, husband and father." She affirmed and kissed him.

He ran his hands all over her body. He stopped for a second after she kissed him on the lips, staring straight into her passionate filled eyes. It was a similar moment that he had experienced many times before, when he realised just how lucky he was to have Gwen Stacy in his life. She was entirely perfect for him, able to be emotionally strong and comforting him in one minute before being incredibly sensual and playful the next. There was no doubt that he would not have completely made it through the of years without her, and he fully intended to show her how much she meant to him. Not just in that moment, but for as long as they had each other.

She lined herself up against him before he lifted her legs as she instinctively wrapped them around his waistline. His arms immediately went behind her back, lifting her up by the small of her back. She was gently pressed against the wall.

He leaned closer to her neck and kissed her throat through sweet kisses, the responses to his passionate touches were throaty moans coming from his beautiful wife as she closed her eyes and snaked her arms around him.

Gwen was suddenly brought back to earth as Peter groaned in pain while he kissed the smooth skin of her neck. He slowly lowered her down so that she could once again stand on her feet and brought his left arm to his right shoulder. She asked concerned, "What did I do?"

"Nothing, it's not because of you." Peter replied softly. "My shoulder, it's still healing from earlier; I thought it was already done, turns out I was wrong this time."

She nodded in understanding. "You need to rest." She said passionately. "Lie down for awhile, I'll wash my hair for now."

"You're probably right." He gave her a quick peck on the lips. "And I guess we should talk about...everything."

"We do." Gwen undid her ponytail and handed it to him. "Not here, okay?"

"Right." He smiled kindly, before turning on his shoulder but quickly watching her once again after a very special question returned to his mind. She was now letting him face her back. He briefly observed her showering by herself. "Oh, um...I forgot to ask, have you taken the test?"

Gwen smiled lightly. "Of course not; you know I wouldn't do it without you close." She replied. "I'll take it once I'm fully clean."

"That sounds...like a good plan...yeah." He swallowed hard, before shocking his head and brushing off any inappropriate thoughts. He turned on his back and grabbed his towel from the top of the door made of glass, wrapped it around his waistline and slid the door open, stepping inside the bathroom and out of the shower.

Gwen held herself from not giggling. She was very well aware of the effect she had upon him. God, I missed this. She thought to herself.

Peter approached the sink and saw it's mirror covered in steam. He placed his left hand against the mirror and later moved it to the side, brushing away part of the steam and revealing a clear view of his exhausted facial expression.

He couldn't stop now. If Harry was indeed alive, he had to find him, and pull him out of the mess he was currently placed against.

"Honey? Could you please order some food at the reception?" Gwen asked. "My credit card is inside your backpack in the bed."

Peter chuckled lightly. That was more of a request than a question. "Of course." He answered, taking one last glance of her blurry reflection through the mirror before opening the door and walking inside the bedroom.

It was a fine place, well taken at least, but not luxurious at all. One large sized bed, a television in the opposite wall and near to the door, a conservative chandelier fixed on the ceiling and the wardrobe near the bed. He was content with the area. He just needed to rest before getting back to the road towards Manhattan.

After Peter wore his casual clothes such as a black snug t-shirt and jeans, he left the room was entered the illuminated and fancy hallway, seeing many other rooms available or occupied. Sam's was right in front of his. He decided to check on her later.

He eventually arrived at the reception. There was a old grizzled man at the balcony. He adjusted his old glass and checked the guest list while listening to the news from the TV hanging against the wall.

Peter noticed he didn't seemed quite happy, but went foward with the plan to approach him anyway. "Excuse me." He called, but the man remained focused in the book. "Um...I'd like to order dinner and pay our stay for now." Peter placed Gwen's credit card over the counter.

He finally moved his eyes from the book and grabbed the credit card, eyeing it's owner's name and later quickly checking up on Peter. He mumbled something and proceeded to type on the computer.

Peter stood still for a few seconds, and broke the silence. "You...don't look very happy."

"And you certainly don't look like a Gwendolyne Maxine Stacy." He stated without even looking at his costumer.

Peter rubbed the back of his neck. "It's my wife's..."

"Whatever." He continued grumpily, "But you're correct on your statement; teenagers these days think they rule world."

"What...happened?"

He groaned in discontentment. "Just had the pleasure of arguing with one of them, a dark haired girl, she's in one of the rooms here."

"Oh, and what did she do?" Peter rubbed his chin, curious about the occurrence.

The old man gave him back the card and looked up to him. "She demanded the password of my internet; can you believe it? It's already slow as it is, and now I should allow them to have it?" He shook his head. "Then she started her speech about how I am keeping her away from her rights and that I was a traitor to the American dream."

Peter snickered lightly but quickly stopped after the man instantly looked up to him. He was pretty serious. Peter scoffed and continued, "I understand, but you know that we live in a world where everyone is pretty much connected to one another..." Peter played the devil's advocate to wins this for Sam.

"Shame on them." He replied conviced. Nobody could take advantage of his internet except for him.

Peter suddenly placed ten dollars which was previously inside his jeans over the table and saw the bright coming from the elder's eye. "You surely have a point, sir." The elder grabbed a small note and started writing the password down in the piece of paper. "But I still can't understand why would you do anything for her, what are you even doing with such young lady?"

"Well...she's - um, my little sister..." Peter cleared his throat.

"I see." The elder handed his costumer the password. "Dinner will arrive soon." He informed, before quickly moving his eyes up and towards the TV after he spotted a very famous figure picture being exposed in the news. "They just can't give him a break."

Pete raised an eyebrow. He turned on his back and looked up as well, seeing the news living streaming an in-flames building at New York. Spider-Man's picture was fixed outside the stream's box with a big font asking 'Where's Spider-Man?'.

The owner sighed. "They think Spider-Man owe them anything, the man is a human just like us, and after the incident with that freaky robot, they're asking for even more." He frowned. "Selfish bastards."

Peter kept eyeing the screen, paying attention to the firefighters struggle to enter the building. "If not him...who else then?" He mostly asked himself.

"I don't know; these days what we don't lack is heroes." He replied. "People rely too much on him, they have this assumption that Spider-Man should sacrifice everything for them without thinking about the human being inside the suit, he's made of flesh and bones just like the rest of us, he has his own things to take care of, he doesn't owe us single damn thing..."

"Don't you think Spider-Man should be assisting that if he could do something?" One day away and damage had already been caused on his absence.

"Let me tell you this, son; my granddaughter is a big Spider-Man fan, she has his shirts, caps, posters and toys." He continued, "Now, whereas people worship him for kicking bad guy's arses, my granddaughter loves him because of his natural charisma and energy, she hasn't seen him fighting, she only saw him swinging around at best, but she heard the countless stories about him pulling kittens out of trees, assisting old people like me cross the street or simply buying a kid a popsicle, that's his legacy, we can all do something to help the others, raise someone from the ground or even help our friends in need if possible."

Peter smiled lightly.

"Those are the little things that makes him a great person, his small actions and the very welcoming and beautiful suit, not the fists and webs." He gave the young man's credit card back. "I like the hero because the man underneath that suit chose to use his gifts to assist people and never ask for something in return, where do you see that? Where do you see a hero accompanying little kids home? There's no such thing as Spider-Man except for himself alone."

Peter stashed it on his jeans. 'I...suppose you're right." He turned slightly on his feet and gave the man a thankful nod. "Have a good night, sir." He walked away and back to his bedroom, feeling happy for a first time in hours.

---

After making sure the only Inhuman he knew closely was okay and was now surfing through the net as usual, Peter sat over the edge of the bed and sighed calmly. He took off his shirt and pants and released them down into the floor, now only wearing his pair of boxers.

He was ready to fall asleep for the rest of the night, but he was still waiting for his wife who apparently had gotten out of the shower. He lied down on his stomach and moaned lightly in contentment. His eyes eventually settled themselves at his phone's sight, it was over the stand near the bed. The single lighten lamp was the only source of light available.

Thanks to being connected again, Sam had emailed him everything she gathered from his kidnappers so far. He was curious. Harry could be closer than ever, but he wanted to clear his head out for a few hours before diving straight back into business once again.

He carefully retrived his phone with his right arm and unlocked the screen, seeing a montage of pictures of Elizabeth, Aiden, David and Gwen, some old pictures actually. Elizabeth's was when they're both walking in a deserted beach and next to the ocean, then sun was already vanishing in the horizon. He held her with both arms when she was three. She rested her head on his shoulder while she caressed his neck with her left arm, she was probably exhausted and wanted to cuddle back then. Gwen had taken the picture from some distance, she told him they're so peaceful that she slowed her pace just to snap them together.

The twin's picture was recent. Last summer. They're playing in the hotel's pool. He threw Aiden into the air, causing his son to grin in happiness as Gwen perfectly captured the moment from her beachchair.

As for Gwen herself, her picture was simply showing her sleeping peacefully. She was lying on her stomach, her back was pretty much naked to him. He couldn't resist the temptation.

All of those pictures were compiled into a single montage, one that constantly reminded him of the good life he has lived so far. He couldn't wish for more.

Peter was so lost in thoughts that he didn't even notice Gwen crawling her way over the bed and towards him, before straddling her husband and putting her fingers to good use on his perfectly sculpted back. She only wore a towel wrapped around her slim body.

She put her hands on his shoulders and started to lightly rub and push at his muscles. She made her way down Peter's back, trying to get a feel for the places he was most tense. "They're quite bigger now, aren't they?" She asked softly.

He moved his phone aside and let out the breath he was holding, shuddering underneath the warmth of her hands. "Yeah; did you ever stop to think that all of this could've not happened when considering a single choice made years ago?"

"Let me guess; the bridge." She pushed harder, digging her thumbs into his skin and going in tiny circles to loosen his muscles.

He nodded. "You were ready to go, move on life." He paused. "We'd probably never talk again."

"What makes you say that?"

He shifted slightly, turning his head to the side and putting his hands underneath his head while his elbows stuck out on either side. "I don't know, we had such a troubled start and end, if you left, it was for good, you're saying your farewell." He answered. "Instead, we fortunately got together, and that gave us our children, a totally different outcome which I'm forever thankful for."

She smiled and looked at his side-profile for a second as she worked on a particularly hard knot. He had a small smile on his face, his eyes closed. She took the opportune moment to study his face and the way it had changed recently, some bruises were easy to find. "So, butterfly effect...?"

"I guess so." He chuckled.

Gwen shook her head and grinned to herself. "You have been playing too much of that game." She noticed a small cut along his jaw, a tiny stain on his right cheek marked his handsome face.

He grinned and nodded against the pillow. "I couldn't ask for anything different; fatherhood taught me I was selfish, now...all I do is for them."

She smiled happily and began focusing on small miniscule details, the massaging techniques she used, and the progression of each of his knots from a hard lump to a pliable, but strong, muscle. She went back and forth between a few, so she wouldn't make Peter sore in any particular spot by massaging him in one place for a long time. "I took the test."

He fully opened his eyes and stared the stand in anticipation. "What did it say...?"

"Well..." She exhaled deeply. "I'm...not pregnant, it said negative." She revealed, gently. "Probably something I ate that got involved with my hormones, I'm not sure."

"Oh...that's -um...yeah." He cleared his throat. He was already deep into the possibility.

Gwen smiled lightly. She could see her husband didn't take the news that well. "You're disappointed, aren't you?"

"Just...bummed, I guess." He replied, closing his eyes. "I wouldn't mind another kid."

"I know, honey." Gwen leaned down and kissed the spot behind his right ear. "Just let it happen, then."

He nodded. "Sounds like a good plan."

She giggled, before she remused her previous position above him. She began carefully, "About Harry..."

Peter carefully turned around under her weight. She once again pressed her hips against his thighs while he placed both hands on her covered by the towel waistline. He knew it was tricky topic for Gwen, not only because of she went through because of him, but also due to the latest events. "I know what you're thinking, Gwendy."

"It's not about that night, you know I forgave him." Gwen rested both hands on his chest as she straddled him. "He wasn't the Harry you knew back then."

"Still, you have every right to-"

Gwen cut him off, "Let me at least explain it?" He nodded. "Look, Harry was - or is, your best friend since you're both kids and..."

"You're my best friend." He stroked her hand.

Gwen smiled at his kind words. She continued, "What I'm trying to say is that if you want to find him, I won't say no to you, you know him better than anyone else on this entire world; what worries me is what you're placing yourself against it in order to do that, these people, who knows who they work for? Their firepower? It's dangerous." She paused. "But if you're willing to confront them, then do it, go find your brother." She leaned down on her chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I feel like...I have to do this, but I don't want to put you guys in anymore danger than you already are..." He confessed. "You already fear for me too much, and I'm sorry for that."

Gwen cupped his cheek. She began softly, "I feared for my father every night when he was alive, and back then I also found myself in love with a guy and I knew I couldn't stop him from being who he really is; you're everyone's guardian, Peter, follow your heart...like you always did, we're all together in this." She kissed his jawline and whispered affectionately, "Family don't end in blood, but it doesn't start there either, family cares about you, not what you can do for them, family's there; for the good, bad, all of it. They got your back, even when it hurts, that's family."

"Thank you, you're amazing, for real." He kissed the top of her head and remained silent for a brief time, just taking in her words, before eventually breaking the silence, "You're the greatest councilor."

Gwen caressed his cheeks. "Sometimes that little squirrel has to tell the big spider what to do."

Peter chuckled. "Well...I was going to say I had enough of my share of squirrels for today, but I do like this one over me." Gwen kissed his chest. "I still don't know how to bring him back if he's really here..."

Gwen moved her hand to the lighten lamp's cord. "Well, I do...together." She pulled it down.

---

A/N : Hello, everyone! I really wasn't expecting an update, but someone very close to me allowed some time with their phone, so I expent almost two hours finishing this chapter for good. Speaking of chapter, this originally turned out much bigger that planned, then I started removing some things away which are noticeable in some areas; I didn't want this to feel too big, but since it's been some time since I last updated, I thought "Why the hell not?", and I just went through with it. I know this chapter was kinda serious, but sooner or later it had to be, this is only foreshadowing Peter's future next challenge, and you don't need to look too far, now that this is out of the way, we can move on to the normal one shots of the Parker's lives.

I don't know if I can put another out before 2016. Probably not. Still, I'm already working on the next one and I'm aiming for it to be much shorter than this. There's hope. We'll find out everything about an old friend of Peter, and the truth.

I recently received a PM that asked why I don't name who I see portraying some characters. Well, I like to give you guys that illusion of being your character that fits the description of such. I know I prefer this way when I'm the one reading. So I won't ruin that by saying who I see being Sam or any other character when you already do that, but I can reveal via PM, and only there.

Besides motivating Peter, the flashback will be very important to the last chapters of the story. And yeah, that was a homage to the comic "Kraven's Last Hunt". Peter went through such thing in my TASM-Verse. Also, the comic-book part is damn good. Might be worth checking it out. Same for "The Other" which is an storyline I'm looking up to in a certain degree.

Chapter named after the song "Save Me."

Big shout-out to TheMetalGearZero for recently reminding me how far this story has come to, and to Sebas F for ideas that are being used in the story. Also big love to FireflySurvivor.

I want to wish everyone a Happy Holidays regardless, and thank you for another year together. Can't wait to share more tales about these characters we all love. Here's to more!